Cummins Engine Plant Test Mules / Trucks.......

[gsbrockman]

Anyone on this board seen any on the roads recently ?

I commute 57 miles one way to work... ... from just southeast of Berea, KY to Lexington, KY five days a week. I get on I-75 North at the 77 milemarker and exit at the 104 milemarker. During my morning commute, I get on I-75 around 7:05 to 7:10 am every morning. Recently, I've seen heading south some mornings (fairly frequently) a pair of Bright White 4x4 RAM's in either a 2500 or 3500 SRW (can't tell---de-badged) 4 door with a black steel flatbed and round auxillary fuel tank (looks like a 55 gallon barrel laying on its side) pulling a 20+4 or 20+5 gooseneck flatbed trailer with a huge plexi-glass style windscreen the width of the trailer and probably about 6' to 8' in height. One truck had a Rumble Bee hood scoop; both trucks had lighted "CIPA" style towing mirrors and a vinyl bug cover on the front end as well. One evening, I was heading home (southbound) around 6:20 pm and was able to at least determine they had IN plates..... no MI "manufacturer" plates as I originally suspected... . therefore, that's why I think they're Cummins Engine Plant Test Trucks. I was hoping one of the guys would need fuel along my route... I was going to question him intensely if he did pull off !



Greg

 

[Spooled-up]

Greg,

I've seen the trucks you're talking about. When I toured the plant last summer, I asked the tour guide about that. She said that they are indeed test trucks and that they do what's called "the lap of Indiana". Apparently, they have changed the route.

Driving the truck is open to any Cummins employee that wants to sign up for it. They put around 100k on the engine and tear it down and see how it looks. The tour guide told me that they had used a Duramax as a chase truck and compared how the engines wore after the test. I haven't noticed the chase truck, but there are usually 2 test trucks hauling that worse case scenario load. It looks heavy!

 

[jwduke]

Hehe, Duramax chase truck..... :-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[BHolm]

I get a LOT of manufacturers test fleets rolling through my neighborhood. I have seen new Vettes including a convertible, long before they were released, new Mercedes, new Audi's, new Porsches, new Ford Exploders, but never a CTD. They must do high altitude testing as it is three hours from here to Durango, over three big mtn passes. All Cummins has to do is send me the truck... I'll drive the snot out of it for them :-laf